The Spanish native couldn’t have placed the squillion-dollar winery on a map two years ago, but now he’s lobster-diving and chestnut-foraging to hammer home Laura’s farm-to-fork, seafood-inspired menu.

Espuga’s Catalonian heritage is sprinkled across the destination-winery’s three restaurants, including jewel in the crown Laura, which is temporarily housed in an outdoors marquee after a kitchen fire destroyed part of the restaurant. He doesn’t shy away from flavour or finesse across either four or eight courses, with each plate of food as pristine and polished as the artistic wonders over yonder in the sculpture park.

It might be “autumn in a bowl” of chestnut custard and gooey quail egg layered with a salty jamon jelly, or silky olive oil pasta sheets draped over smoked eel meat and sweet figs. Those Port Phillip Bay lobsters torched tableside are special-occasion worthy, as are the oysters or a back vintage pairing from Pt Leo’s wine cellar.

Dressed up or down, Laura is the perfect Peninsula pitstop for locals and long-lunchers alike.

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